Weekend Wind-up

Posted in Family, Food, Friends, Isla, Kara and Kyle, Life by Kara

Whew! This past weekend went by WAY too fast! It’s hard to believe that it’s already Monday and Kyle’s back to work already. His four days off went by so fast! Here’s what we got up to this weekend:

– On Thursday we had an appointment at the bank to deposit some birthday money Isla got into her RESP account. We opened the account for her as soon as her SIN card arrived in the mail and we’ve been making monthly deposits ever since then. We want her to be able to attend whichever university she wants and to have a little bit of a head-start in some way. After the bank, we headed home for Isla’s nap, and then went to his mom’s for pizza dinner since it was his step-dad’s birthday. We taught Isla how to do the arm/hand gesture for a touchdown and it’s pretty hilarious. No photos, so you’ll just have to believe me ;)

– On Friday our friends Clara and Cullen arrived from out of town to stay with us as one of them was competing in the Kamloops Highland Games (In the Highland Dance competition, to be exact). The games were on Saturday, but we always have an awesome time with these two and they ended up staying until Sunday. The Highland Games itself was pretty entertaining. Lots of bagpipes and dancing, for sure! Kyle and I had never actually seen Clara dance before, so we headed to the park to watch her compete. Holy wow is all I can say! She’s really good and placed in a variety of different dances so I’m glad we got to see what Highland Dance was all about! The little kids were absolutely adorable to watch too. Also, I have no photos from the Games because I’m stupid and forgot my phone at home. Uggggh.

– I splurged and bought myself a new flat-iron from a beauty supply store. The one I had been using before was a cheap-o Walmart special that I borrowed from my mom, so it’s been nice using a good quality iron for once! The best thing is not having to wait 5 minutes for it to get hot. With Isla getting more and more impatient these days, I need to be able to get ready fast!

– This weekend was also full of new foods! I made cucumber salsa, which I found on via a friend on Facebook (recipe from Keeping it Together). OMG SO GOOD! I love fresh salsa and while I have never made my own fresh tomato salsa, this cucumber version is SO good! It’s very freshing! Clara also brought us a apricot-blueberry-cherry pie for Friday night which was delicious with whipped cream, and I also had my first food truck experience thanks to Cat & Joe’s Pig Rig! They were parked at the Highland Games on Saturday so I braved the long line-up to get myself the Piglet – a small pulled-pork sammie topped with slaw on a yummy bun with fries & beans. I brought my food home to eat and let me tell yah – the lineup was so worth the wait!

– I also decided to take an old chair that’s been kicking around the house and give it a little bit of a face lift, but that will be a post on its own later this week.

What did you get up to this weekend? Ever been to a Highland Games event before? Or eaten from a food truck?

4Jul2013

Birthdays, Canada Day, and fun in general

Posted in Holidays, Isla, Life by Kara

Whew! With Kyle being off on holidays we’ve been on “GO” mode for the past week. I finally have a moment to myself to give you all a bit of an update.

First of all – and most importantly – Isla’s birthday was a huge success! We had about 20 guests over to help us celebrate her first big milestone of her life. It was a little crazy, but our little girl was spoiled rotten! She loved all of her presents, and really enjoyed eating her cake! Kyle baked her a smash cake and I iced it, and instead of diving right into it she delicately picked off the icing flowers one-by-one and ate them. It was cute, but I ended up helping her smash her cake. I still can’t believe she’s a whole year old! I also found an idea on Pinterest for a time capsule for her. Basically, the guests write down what they predict Isla will be when she grows up, then the box is sealed and not opened until she graduates from high school. (Class of 2030 – WHAT?) I didn’t read a single one, so it will be interesting to see what everyone wrote! Here’s some photos from the day:

After a “recovery” day for Isla, we celebrated Canada Day on Monday! Kyle and I took Isla down to the park where there was all kinds of things going on – local artists selling their goods, food, entertainment, and info booths. There were a LOT of people, and it was crazy hot (I think it hit around 40°C/104°F?) but we had a pretty good time! We took Isla through the splash park and she absolutely loved it! Kyle took her through some kind of misting tower and she giggled the entire time. It just melted my heart seeing them bond like that.

I wouldn’t call Tuesday a “recovery” day since Isla had her 1-year immunizations that day. She got 4 shots, two in each arm, and it didn’t go over so well. There were tears (just hers) and lots of hugs given that afternoon. She got over it eventually, and now you’d never know that she had her shots except for a couple of little specks on her biceps.

On Wednesday Kyle’s best friend from high school was in the province from Calgary, visiting his family at their lake property just 45 minutes out of town. We loaded up in the morning after Isla had breakfast and headed to the lake for the day for a great visit with old friends. It was Isla’s first ride on a boat AND her first time swimming in a lake, and she loved them both! There were a few moments of hangry-ness (she gets ANGRY when she’s hungry, lemmie tell yah), and crankiness due to no real naps, but overall, it was an awesome day. She fell asleep on our way back across the lake, and slept the entire drive home. Every time Kyle and I head to the lake, it reminds us of how badly we want a recreation property of our own. One day we’ll get it done!

I’m sad that Kyle’s holidays are coming to an end because it’s been so nice to be able to hang out and spend time together as a family. We’re plotting another trip to the lake next month, as long as a weekend visit to a friend’s place for his birthday later on this month. Hopefully in the fall he can get some more time off and we can plan a trip to Vegas. We’ll see!

I’m going to wish my neighbours to the south a very Happy Independence Day! Let them fireworks fly tonight!

How was your long weekend? (Or what are your plans if you’re in the US of A?)

3Apr2013

The Truth About Timelines

Posted in Babies, Guest post, Life, Marriage by Kara

Today I have a special guest post by Stephany from Stephany Writes. She’s on a mission to write 50 guest posts in 2013 and I was more that happy to offer up a guest-spot on my blog for her! She’s one of my favourite bloggers and you can always count on her for meaningful, intriguing and thought-provoking posts!
I had originally suggested she write about her thoughts on having kids, which she did in a way, but it turned into something a little more. (And I love it!) So sit back and enjoy, and thanks Stephany for the wonderful post!

I never questioned whether or not I wanted to have kids.

I grew up in suburbia, where weekends were spent playing outside with neighborhood friends, having cookouts on holidays, and getting as dirty as possible. My brother played soccer, so many nights and Saturdays were spent at the soccer field.

In this world, it wasn’t a question of whether or not you were going to have children. It was a matter of when.

I had a timeline.

Married at twenty-five. (I wanted to give myself time to graduate college and all that.)

First baby within three years of marriage. Second, third, and possibly fourth following behind.

(Yes. I wanted four kids. This was when I was young and clueless.)

Well, I’m sorry twelve-year-old Stephany, but you are now twenty-five and that timeline is moot. Because you are single and have no prospects for marriage lining up.

It’s funny the timelines we give ourselves. I had no idea I would be twenty-three when I graduated college. I had no idea I would still be single and living with my mom. I had specific plans, but life tends to get in the way of all our plans.

And though I am not living the life I thought I would be living at twenty-five, I still realize I have a good life. I could wish I had a husband and family by now, but I’ve learned to be okay with what I’ve been given, grateful for any opportunities, and present. Being present in the life I have now, not wishing for something that I might not even want in the first place.

I do want to be married. I do want to be a mother. Those are two “little girl” wishes that have never left my heart. (Even when I spent one year co-teaching in a room of 20 two-year-olds. Best form of birth control? Maybe.)

But it’s not the end all, be all for me anymore. I’ve thrown away my timeline. It’s not as important as living in the moment. I need to embrace this time in my life – in my twenties, single, and with the entire world open for me. There are endless possibilities for me. I can go wherever I want, take any adventure I choose to. While I’m not saying my life ends when I get married and all the adventure dissipates, I’m also realizing I need to embrace the freedom I have now. Take a solo vacation. Live by myself. Treat myself when I want. Enjoy every moment. See old friends. Make new friends. Flirt. Go on blind dates. Choose adventure.

People are always going to tell you how you should live your life. No matter what stage of life you are in, people think they have the magic answer that will make your life worth living – even when you think you have a pretty decent life. Don’t buy into the “should be doing”‘s. Live your truth. Embrace your moments. And remember that a timeline is just a guide – it doesn’t have to rule your life.

Stephany is a twenty-something young professional living in Florida. On her blog, you will find stories about her life, details about her health and faith struggles, book reviews, and ponderings of the future. She love dachshunds, football, carbs, cruises, and stepping out of her comfort zone.